Currently, various designs of blankets or blanket type covers for infants and children exist which are to be used in infant or child seats or strollers. There are additionally blanket-type covers for portable infant seats designed for children up to 20 pounds, which provide removable attachment and cover the entirety of the infant with the exception of the face.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,061 describes a blanket type covering for use with a stroller, a car seat, bicycle seat or the like. It consists of a protective poncho-like cover that encompasses the entirety of the child as well as the stroller itself. This cover makes it very difficult, if not impossible, to adjust the covering for the child's comfort. It is also difficult to attach to the stroller because it must encompass the entire stroller with the child seated. Furthermore, it doesn't allow for the older child who has grown significantly since purchase to continue using the covering.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,090 describes a covering for use with a car seat. It consists of a blanket with apertures cut out for the seat belts. This type of covering completely surrounds the child and folds at the front. Thus, it is either completely covering the child, or leaves the child completely uncovered. Again, the desired versatility of covering various parts of the child is non-existent. This type of blanket is designed for use solely in a car seat, and as designed does not allow for coverage of the child's legs as they extend from the seat.
The designs described above provide for at least partial coverage of the younger infant (less than 20 pounds). These designs do not however, provide for the needs of the older infant or child, who has outgrown the portable infant seat or for easily removable attachment combined with flexibility for the older, more active child. They also do not provide for attachment to older adults who may be confined to wheelchairs.
Traditional blankets or blanket-type covers which do not removably attach to the infant or child seat or stroller are subject to becoming dislodged, with the resultant effect that they become entangled in the wheels of the stroller or fall to the ground or floor of a motor vehicle, becoming wet or soiled. Additionally, blankets of the conventional shape leave considerable amounts of fabric dangling off the lower edges of strollers, tending to drag on the ground and pull the entire blanket with it. Traditional blankets also require tucking in around the shoulders that come loose as the child moves, and leave excess blanket at the child's neck.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a blanket-type covering which can be used to cover and provide warmth for people of various sizes in infant booster or car seats, strollers, wheelchairs, or the like that requires versatile coverage for warmth and comfort.